Powerminster Gleeson Services - Independent living for
vulnerable people
Following a competitive procurement process, Leeds City Council has
selected the LiLAC Consortium as the Preferred Bidder for the £65
million Independent Living Project.
The project will improve life for over 350 vulnerable adults across
the city and also provide two new units for disabled children and
young people. The consortium, which includes facilities management
specialist Powerminster Gleeson Services Ltd, housing provider
Progress Care Housing Association, regional building contractor Jack
Lunn Construction, financial backers Nord LB and Gleeson Capital
Solutions, will now go forward to the detailed negotiation stage
which will take place prior to award of the contract in March 2008.
David Bradbury, PFI Director for Powerminster Gleeson Services
explains: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the partners to prove
that we can collectively provide modern sustainable housing for
vulnerable people in Leeds. We are confident that our expertise on
this type of project in other areas will demonstrate how we could
deliver huge benefits both for occupants and for Leeds City
Council.”
The project aims to deliver modern new homes for 350 adults with
learning disabilities and mental health needs who currently live in
13 hostels across the city, allowing them to live closer to their
own communities in smaller, less institutional and more independent
settings. The new units for children are an eight-bed service for
disabled young people approaching adulthood and a short breaks unit
for severely disabled children and young people.
Councillor Peter Harrand, Executive Board member for adults’
services, said: “The consortium will build high quality homes that
will help their tenants live as independently as possible, as valued
members of the community and playing a full part in local life. The
homes will give their residents dignity, privacy and a quality of
life that is not currently available in the present hostel-type
accommodation. This is a new departure for the way we provide
services for some of the most vulnerable people in Leeds.”
In all, 70 purpose-designed properties will be built for adults,
plus the two for children, on 39 sites across Leeds, following the
go-ahead for the government-approved and Private Finance
Initiative-funded project.
The homes will be modern flexible accommodation suited to the needs
of the people using the properties and giving them as much
independence as possible.
Colin Rossiter, Director of Gleeson Capital Solutions, said: “The
LiLAC consortium is absolutely delighted to have been chosen as
Preferred Bidder. We are looking forward to working in partnership
with Leeds City Council through to financial close and on into the
operational phase where we are confident that our designs and
service delivery proposals will provide residents with a greatly
improved quality of life and independence.”
The contract will be awarded in March 2008 and building will begin
in May 2008. By May 2011 the project will have been completed and
the properties occupied.
Email:
marina@dragonflypr.co.uk
Arundel Jones Associates Ltd
Hill Farm, Linton Hill, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4AL
Tel : 01622 745333
news@buildingdesign.co.uk
Registered in England and Wales No. 07334149
News Categories : Power Providers
|
Power
Providers
